TRENTON — As part of an effort to heighten school security in the wake of the tragic school shootings in Newtown, Conn., the state Department of Education plans to launch surprise security drills in New Jersey schools.

The state Education Department's Office of School Preparedness and Emergency Planning, along with the state Office of Homeland Security and local police, will begin later this month making unannounced visits to schools to "facilitate and observe unplanned lockdown and active shooter drills," state education officials said.

The plan was discussed today at a meeting of the state Board of Education.

At the same time, the New Jersey School Boards Association is also working to address school security concerns, hosting a forum on security Friday, which is expected to be attended by more than 600 school officials, parents, law enforcement officials and others.

The security confab will feature a Rutgers University psychology professor with a national reputation in community and preventive psychology, a principal who was at the helm of a New Jersey high school where a killing took place in 1997, and presentations by law enforcement and security experts, among others. The forum, taking place at The College of New Jersey, is billed as a way for school officials to learn and share "best practices" in school security.

"The tragedy in Connecticut was the school community's 9/11. This has touched the very soul of the country, no less the school community," said School Boards Association Executive Director Lawrence Feinsod. "In my 40 years in education, I've never seen such response as to what happened in Connecticut."

School security has been in the forefront of educators' minds since the tragic killing of 20 children and six educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School last month. Many districts around New Jersey have already taken steps to beef up security.

Some put armed officers in schools; others have looked into equipping staff with "panic buttons" that would alert law enforcement in case of emergency. Many have tightened up requirements for screening school visitors, even a parent dropping off a forgotten sweatshirt or lunch.

"Business as usual is gone in American schools, the idea of just dropping something off," Feinsod said. "The new normal is that everybody has to be screened and everybody can be a potential assailant."

State officials will begin conducting unannounced security drills and visits at New Jersey schools as a way to check security preparedness, Anthony Bland, coordinator of the Office of Preparedness and Emergency Planning, told the state board. He said officials will conduct 10-point spot checks in schools as part of the unannounced visits.

The surprise drills are expected to begin later this month. The list of schools has not been finalized yet, and officials have not determined how many schools will be inspected.

School officials will also receive updated guidance on the state's laws and regulations, Bland said.The surprise visits will be in addition to regular scheduled visits by state security teams.

New Jersey already has one of the nation's most stringent set of school security requirements. Among other things, twice each year schools are required to hold an active shooter drill; an evacuation drill; a bomb threat drill; and a lockdown drill.

The state was already working on toughening up school security prior to Newtown.
Several years ago, the state created a Safety and Security Task Force and schools had until October 2012 to implement and update security plans, Department of Education spokeswoman Barbara Morgan said.

She said there are no plans for the state to spend additional money on school security, although some staff may be reallocated to assist with security items.

Several school superintendents said they welcomed the surprise drills, although said they hoped it would count as one of the district's required drills. "We are always training, and if they come to our district I think we will be prepared. We'll handle it well and we look forward to feedback," said North Brunswick School Superintendent Brian Zychowski. "We pride ourselves in maintaining a consistent focus on safety drills and security measures. This is another level of protection."

The School Boards Association forum, called "Safe and Secure Schools: Perspectives After Newtown," is expected to have an "unprecedented" turnout, as educators seek ways to better protect students.

Keynote speaker will be Maurice Elias, a professor and director of clinical training with the Rutgers University Department of Psychology. He will discuss the connection between a safe school climate, and students' success.

Marlboro was one of the first districts in New Jersey to add police officers to schools after the Newtown tragedy. Just days later, the school board there voted to put an armed off-duty police officer in each school for 90 days, at a cost of $105,000. It is considering all security options, district officials said.

Marlboro Superintendent David Abbott said his district will also send a contingent to the school boards association forum.

"We want to make sure we're doing all we can," he said.

The forum takes place in the Kendall Hall Theater at the College of New Jersey.
The program is free, but registration is required. Registration can be made through the association website, www.njsba.org.